Embittered by betrayal, Anne MacKay flees London for America, where she learns she's pregnant with her abusive husband’s longed-for heir. In a society that doesn’t protect, or afford a well-to-do wife’s desire for divorce, Anne decides there is one way to exact revenge: deny the father any knowledge of his child.

Sought after by her husband’s henchmen, Anne travels by rail and horseback, far from civilization where silk and stays are worn, let alone thought of. Lies and deceit protect her identity for a time, allowing her to birth—and grow to love—the child who was supposed to be her vengeance.

With the help of her loyal and protective business partner, Jude Connagher, and the ranch hands in their Montana Territory valley, Anne attempts to rebuild her life under the shadow of her husband’s wrath.

One unwise decision lands Anne in her pursuers’ clutches, tearing her from the ranch, her child, and her growing love for the one man who could redeem her from bitterness. She's left with no choice but to finally face her husband, knowing her freedom and life hang in the balance.

~~~oOo~~~

The second in the Means of Mercy series, this historical romance has been likened to Downton Abby.

And Roane Publishing is giving away THREE eARC copies to three lucky winners!

You don’t even have to be a blogger.

If you are willing to leave an honest review between the dates of January 26th - February 6th, you are eligible to enter.

How? Simply fill out the form!

You have until Midnight of January 3rd when three winners will be chosen by random drawing.

Loading...

~~~oOo~~~

Join Terri Rochenski and 10 author guests for the Release Day Party taking place on Facebook January 26 from 9:00 am EST to 9:00 pm EST!Click on the button for more information.

Blurb: When Wayne Edwards moves to town, Lillian Douglas experiences stirrings she thought were long dead. Guilt ridden over betraying her deceased husband and the feelings Wayne inspires, Lillian reluctantly lets him in. Secrets of the past – an old promise emerges, but will it threaten their forever?

Blurb: Newlyweds in an arranged marriage, Naina and Dev go to the mountains of Shimla, India in search of snow. Unfortunately, they find fifteen inches more than they expected.

Being snowed in with her husband is not necessarily a bad thing. It gives Naina an excellent excuse to snuggle up to her deep, quiet man, but every time Dev spurns her, a little more of her heart drips away. Melting the ice around her husband’s heart before the snow outside does might take more pride than Naina’s ready to surrender.

Blurb: Angela is in love with someone she can never have--her best friend, Rebecca’s older brother.

Stranded in the bitter cold after a disastrous blind date with yet another company Christmas party looming, a standing offer from the boss’ nephew gets a little more appealing. Desperation. Not a good sign. Surely when Rebecca rescues her from the blinding snow, she can also convince Angela to just go to the party alone. She can always count on her best friend.

Blurb: Stella’s got everything she needs in life: a great job, a beautiful house, and her independence. But on last minute trip to the local Christmas tree lot she finds something, or rather someone, she desperately wants - Grayson. An emergency trip to Target, an unexpected wreath, and a little Christmas magic make the season much brighter.

Blurb: Disillusioned by men and her belief that they see her only as an object, Bebe is determined to find a man with money. Her geeky, but unfailingly kind, next-door neighbor James tries to convince her of the possibility of real love, even as she reveals to him the troubled childhood that made her so cynical about relationships. When her mother dashes her hopes for a perfect Christmas, Bebe finds herself turning to James once again, and in the process, learning a lot about herself and the promise their relationship holds.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Hop around ALL of the blogs taking part in the Christmas Cracker Scavenger Hunt, collect the individual letter from each participating blog, then rearrange them to spell something related to Christmas. This is the answer you will need to enter into the Grand Prize Rafflectopter to be eligible for entry.

What's up for grabs?

First Grand Prize: $100 Amazon Gift Card

Second Grand Prize: $10 Amazon Gift Card

~~~oOo~~~

But first...my giveaway:

Click on image to add on Goodreads

Bullet

A father’s love doesn’t bend, so what happens when it breaks?Corruption, dark truths, and a new Alpha mean Leon Gray’s days of running without a pack are over. At least, that’s what everyone but him believes.He’d rather be helping his teenage daughter navigate the landmine life of a full werewolf, finish out his servitude as bodyguard to a former Demos City reporter and, in all honesty, not be taken advantage of by a beautiful woman who really only wants him for his body—figuratively and metaphorically.Of course, the only way any of that might happen is if he’s dead. That’s likely given the information the reporter has unearthed and the territorial battles already underway between packs. If only Demos City’s corruption didn’t have such deep roots—older than the bones of the city or any of the werewolves who’ve decided to claim it. A city can only take so many power hungry mongrels invading it at one time, and Leon can only take so much knowing his daughter lives within its boundaries.War has come to Demos City.It’s up to Leon to fix … what’s most important to him.

The young boy grasped my bag’s handle with his free hand and spun, dark curls falling into his eyes as he said, “Follow me!”

He pushed into the crowd, and with a deep breath to prepare myself for its stench, I hurried after him.

“Come along, miss lady!” He hollered back at me before disappearing between skirts and overcoats once more.

Within seconds I lost sight of his bobbing dark head, and I strained upward on my toes. My mouth opened to call after him, but I snapped it shut as I caught a glimpse of him near the depot’s exit.

Twinkling eyes and a grin over his shoulder accompanied the boy’s wave.

Crowd pressing against me, I pushed through regardless of the curses my purposeful striding caused. I broke through the throng and stumbled to a stop beneath the darkening sky. Peering left and right, I found no trace of the boy.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

I’ve often been asked why I chose a circle of friends
to write about for my first series.

Bringing a new story about the tight knit group of
friends from Fredericksburg, Virginia, was like coming home, especially since
I’ve lived in the area all my life. The friends I’ve made over the years, and
have continued to keep in touch with, are much like the people in this book—minus
the bombs and gunfights. Instead of a weekly cocktail hour, we get together at
least once month at a winery, brewery or the lake.

Temptation landed at
Special Agent Larry Newman’s feet—literally. Charlene Smith captured his heart
after he rescued her from terrorists two months ago. A failed relationship and
being an abused child have turned him into a loner and workaholic. The scars
weigh heavy on him and keep him from pursuing her. So what’s a guy to do when
the woman he pines for passes out in front of him while working a case?

Battling
psychological wounds from abduction is easier than coming face to face with the
sexy FBI agent she’s fantasized about for months. A single mother, avoiding the
drama that dating would bring to her son’s life, she allows Larry close only in
her dreams. Now, she's second-guessing her decision. Should shehave a relationship withthis man who makes her feel alive
just by being close?

As the couple forges
into an abyss of emotions, they plow through secrets and criminals, and fight
for the one thing that’s worth fighting for—each other.

Here’s an excerpt
from a Cocktail hour, just before the guys arrive. The things good friends say
to one another….

“I figured you’d be uptight and would need to
blow off steam,” Celine said around a mouthful of margarita.

“How’d you two get the idea I had sex from me
not wanting to talk about Andrew?”

Celine and Pamela exchanged a silent
conspirator glance.

Oh, boy. So, much for wondering if she should talk
about Larry, they’d do it for her.

“Larry?” Pamela’s normally welcoming smile
transformed into calm tone and she arched an eyebrow at Charlene.

If she hadn’t known Pamela, she’d actually
have been nervous and answered immediately. As it was, Charlene would use this
time to collect her thoughts and work out what to say. Hanging out on the pier,
her and Larry chatting with one another in a way that was so comfortable she
felt like she’d done it forever. Well, until her mouth ran away from her and
confided her feelings. After that, things between them had become awkward.

Her mind jumped to the kiss next to her mom’s
car…phew…she fanned herself and sipped more of her drink to camouflage the heat
rising from her body to her face.

“That does it.” Celine gulped her drink. “I
want some of what Charlene’s having.”

From writing ‘every girl’s dream heroes’ to ‘strong, down-to-earth heroines,’ Cait Jarrod twists ‘cliff hanging plots’ and ‘clever, unpredictable sub-plots’. She loves diving into a good book as much as she loves writing one.

Mother of three gorgeous daughters, she’s married to her best friend, hangs out with the WWC, a great group of women, and loves a good glass of wine.

Embittered by betrayal,
Anne MacKay flees London for America, where she learns she's pregnant with her
abusive husband’s longed-for heir. In a society that doesn’t protect, or afford
a well-to-do wife’s desire for divorce, Anne decides there is one way to exact
revenge: deny the father any knowledge of his child.

Sought after by her
husband’s henchmen, Anne travels by rail and horseback, far from civilization
where silk and stays are worn, let alone thought of. Lies and deceit protect
her identity for a time, allowing her to birth—and grow to love—the child who
was supposed to be her vengeance.

With the help of her loyal
and protective business partner, Jude Connagher, and the ranch hands in their
Montana Territory valley, Anne attempts to rebuild her life under the shadow of
her husband’s wrath.

One unwise decision lands
Anne in her pursuers’ clutches, tearing her from the ranch, her child, and her
growing love for the one man who could redeem her from bitterness. She's left
with no choice but to finally face her husband, knowing her freedom and life
hang in the balance.

~~~oOo~~~

Love's Revenge Blog Tour is now scheduling!

If you're interested in hosting for the release day blitz, the tour, OR review, please click on the image.

Friday, December 5, 2014

Gavin Has Arrived!

The third installment of Keri Lake’s edgy paranormal romance series is here! Check out the book then enter the Rafflecopter for some awesome prizes! You can also vote for your favorite dream cast in the Sons of Wrath Casting Contest (below) for MORE prizes!

As a special thank you to her readers, the author is releasing SOUL ENSLAVED for a very limited time at just 99 cents!

A percent of sales will be donated to two organizations that keep kids off the streets in Detroit .

***BONUS***BONUS***BONUS***

4 DAYS ONLY!

If you have already read the first two books, you can gift the entire series - the perfect holiday treat for the booklovers on your list!

SOUL ENSLAVED (Sons of Wrath, #3)

By: Keri Lake

Release Date: December 5, 2014

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 978-0-9848517-7-5

BLURB:

Imprisonment in Obsidius. Enslavement to a soul-sucking succubus. A reproductive cycle that’d send a sex fiend running into the arms of celibacy.

Given the choice, most demons would opt for death.

Gavin, eldest son of Wrath, has been sentenced to all three.

When the succubus decides its time to collect, though, he fears his nightmares have only just begun.

And Sabelle’s timing couldn’t be worse.

With a bad case of uncontrollable lust, thanks to his Savidon, the last thing Gavin wants is a vengeful succubus stoking his darkest desires, but debts must be paid—he just didn’t bank on enjoying his punishment so much.

Because the swinging bachelor may have found his perfect mate in the sexy seductress.

However, just as things seem to be looking up, past sins resurface, plunging the two into a deadly game of power and deception. As their worst fears merge into one unexpected threat, Gavin is determined to protect Sabelle and win her freedom.

VOTE FOR THE SONS OF WRATH DREAM CAST!

About the Author

Keri Lake is a married mother of two living in Michigan. She writes paranormal romance, urban fantasy and loves a good, tragic love story. Though novels tend to be her focus, she also writes short stories and flash fiction on the many occasions when distraction sucks her in to the Land of Shiny Things.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. How many times in your life have you heard
that line? But to me, it's the best
advice I could possibly give to a new or aspiring author.

Back
in the Seventies (yes, I really am that old), college and creative writing courses
in which I'd excelled behind me, I wrote a novel, a romance. After completion and some revision, I decided,
without sending it to anyone, that it would never sell and so dropped it in the
circular file. In those days, of course,
it was typed and there was no copy kept.
The reason I decided no one would buy it was because I thought it too
unrealistic, too unbelievable. What was
it about? It was about an heir to the
British throne who falls in love with a commoner…

Time
passed. Next came a film script. I was in correspondence with famed director
Fred Zinnemann over a suggestion he make a film of Thomas Wolfe's, Look
Homeward, Angel—but did I even mention my own film script? Of course, not. I went on to work for publishers
Simon and Schuster for a bit, edit a poetry magazine with quite well known
people submitting (Allen Ginsburg for one), write travel articles for a British
newspaper. And then I wrote another
novel—600 pages to be exact. This time,
shivering in my boots, I sent it off—to six agents. I received six rejections and
then…stopped. The book is in a huge box
somewhere in my closet.

So
more years passed, my friends encouraging me to write fiction once more, guilt gnawing
at my insides as I found excuses not to be writing, procrastinated like an
expert, filled time with 'more important things.' And then what happened? Well, I guess I got so dang old I no longer
cared what people would say, didn't give a hoot about failing, and finally
could no longer put up with the voices in my head telling me their stories. Sooo—I got them down on paper. Had it critiqued, listened to some good
advice and ignored what I saw as either bad or irrelevant. Honed the book, and then rewrote it again. Cut seventy pages and edited it some
more. Then I took a deep breath and sent
it off—and the rest is history.

Nothing
ventured, nothing gained.

It
is difficult to put yourself out there and listen to or read people's criticism
of your work. Some directed at me was,
at times, so biting and sarcastic I had to wonder whether to go on or not. And then suddenly I placed fourth in a major
competition, losing out by one measly point.
So what I took home from that is that not everyone agrees on everything,
and one person's opinion may be hugely different from another's, even if they
are both considered 'experts' in their field.
Think about the long list of rejections many famous writers have
received before finally finding a home for their work. What the author has to
do is believe in her own work, stand behind it, and keep trying. As long as you believe what you've done is
good, no matter how outrageous it may seem, how different, you can—must!—keep
plugging away at getting it published. And don't worry about who thinks you're
a fool because, believe me, out there is someone who is going to think you're a
star.

Daniel Saunders has carved out a
life for himself in Wyoming—a life missing one thing: a wife. Having scrimped
and saved to bring his mail-order bride from New York, he is outraged to find
in her stead a runaway fraud. Even worse, the impostor is the sister of his old
enemy.

But people are not
always as they seem, and sometimes the heart knows more than the head.

"The romance was pitched perfectly, lots of "do I, don't I" moments, subtle looks and indecision that had me wanting to lock them in the bedroom until the sorted things out!

I loved the twists that appeared, they weren't obvious or expected. These led to a fantastic ending that left me satisfied with the story. That takes a lot of skill to pull of in just 26,000 words…

Overall I found this novella to be an adorable story and get away from life for a little while. It was an easy read to boot, allowing the reader to get straight to the story. Despite its short length, Dearest Darling had well drawn characters and a plot that felt complete and finished.

I give this a 5 for being a good all rounder." --Laura of Lurking reads

But
he hadn’t spoken today. Not since first thing when he’d told her to get ready.
Not through breakfast, or as he helped clear dishes, or gave her a hand up into
the wagon.

“You
haven’t seen her. You didn’t see her picture, did you?” The questions came
sudden, yet without malice.

Emily
straightened, alert. “No. No, I didn’t.” Would I understand better? Is that
what he meant?

“I
keep it with me.” Daniel began to fish in his pocket. “Would you like to see
it?”

“No.
No, you keep it, please. It won’t change anything.” Emily panicked. She would
be beautiful, the other, that would be the answer. So stunningly beautiful that
just her photograph had enthralled him, mesmerized him into loving her. Emily
couldn’t bear to look, didn’t want to know the answer. Didn’t wish to torture
herself further. “And I’m sorry. I’m sorry for reading the letters.” A rush of
words, they flowed out of her. “I should never have done that. It’s not like
me. But you...well, you understand it seems—”

“You’re
probably wondering what I see in her. Or what she sees in me. As for that, what
she sees in me, I have no idea. Maybe, like you, she wishes to get away.”

Emily
studied his profile, the planes and contours of his face, the eyes set straight
ahead, the slouch hat low on his brow. He gave nothing away, was a man in
control of his emotions, thinking, maybe still wondering how he had won that
woman. Or maybe set on keeping the answer to himself.

“I
did. She never answered. I’m thinking what she sees in me is husband material.
I guess. She tells me about her day, the people she knows, what she does. As
you read.”

“She
just seems so...so outgoing, so...so very social to ever want this life. I
found it difficult to believe.” She jutted her chin out, then turned to him,
waiting.

He
gave the reins a sharp shake. “I don’t know. I never asked if she knew what she
was getting into. I described it. I assumed if she wanted to stop the
correspondence there, she would have. I was pretty damn amazed and happy she’d
wanted to come, written back even though I described the cabin to her, the
isolation.” His gaze slid toward her.

“And
you think she’ll make you a perfect wife, do you? Be happy living here? Cook
your meals, mend your clothes, keep your cabin, have your babies?” Exasperated,
she tried to make him think, think of what he was letting himself in for, how
long a marriage like that could go on, how it could end up being even lonelier
than he was now. Emily would seem to him to be trying to win him over rather
than making him see the truth, but push him she must, save him, stop him. She
knew those sorts of women, the debutantes, the socialites. Not a one would last
out here, not for a single day.

His
head snapped around to stare at her. “She’s been writing. She hasn’t stopped.”

~~~oOo~~~

Andrea
Downing likes to say that when she decided to do a Masters Degree, she made the
mistake of turning left out of New York, where she was born, instead of right to the west, and ended up in
the UK. She eventually married there,
raising a beautiful daughter and staying for longer than she cares to
admit. Teaching, editing a poetry
magazine, writing travel articles, and a short stint in Nigeria filled those
years until in 2008 she returned to NYC.
She now divides her time between the city and the shore, and often
trades the canyons of New York for the wide open spaces of Wyoming. Family vacations are often out west and, to
date, she and her daughter have been to some 20 ranches throughout the west. Loveland, her first book, was
a finalist for Best American Historical at the 2013 RONE Awards. Lawless Love, a short story,
part of The Wild Rose Press ‘Lawmen and Outlaws’ series, was a finalist for
Best Historical Novella at the RONE Awards and placed
in the 2014 International Digital Awards Historical Short contest. Dearest Darling, a novella,
is part of The Wild Rose Press Love Letters series, and came out Oct. 8th,
2014, and Dances of the Heart, another full length novel,
comes out in February, 2015.